Primary-school teacher among 9 nabbed in Malaysia for IS ties

KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian police on Friday (March 24) announced that they have arrested nine people — including a primary school teacher — across the country for terror links to Islamic State (IS) in recent days.

The suspects included a duo plotting a bomb attack on a police station in Perak.

National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the nine were nabbed in separate sting operations in Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perak and Johor between March 15 and March 21.

One of the suspects was from the so-called “Black Crow” cell that was responsible for the grenade attack on a nightclub in Selangor last year, which was IS’ first attack in the country.

“He admitted his involvement in channelling funds to Malaysia’s Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi for use by the IS group in Syria,” said Mr Khalid in a statement on Friday, referring to the mastermind behind the June 28 bombing at the Movida nightclub, which injured eight people.

The 27-year-old suspect, Mr Khalid said, was picked up in a raid in Selangor on March 15. He worked as a technician in Puspakom, the nation’s computerised vehicle inspection company.

The “Black Crow” cell is led by Syria-based IS recruiter Muhammad Wanndy, who had also personally called and made a death threat to Mr Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, the director of the Malaysian Police Counter-Terrorism unit.

Mr Khalid said further raids in Kulim, Kedah and Ipoh, Perak led to the arrests of a primary school teacher, 37, and a security guard, 39.

“The school teacher admitted to spreading the Salafist Jihadi ideology through Facebook to recruit new members for IS, while the suspect working as a security guard had planned to leave Malaysia and join the group, either in Syria or the southern Philippines.”

Terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and IS believe in the Salafist Jihadi ideology, which legitimises violence against the enemies of Islam.

Mr Khalid revealed that two suspects arrested in Perak was planning to launch an attack at a police station in Tapah district, 53km from the northern state’s capital of Ipoh.

The main suspect was an eatery assistant, 31, who recruited a veterinary shop owner, 28. “The (main) suspect had contacted members of IS in Indonesia to obtain explosives to be used in the attack,” said Mr Khalid, adding that the man also had links to an IS cell in Poso in Central Sulawesi, and was active in recruiting members for the terror group.

Police also arrested two suspects from Kelantan. One was a 32-year-old mechanic from Kuala Krai in Kelantan under suspicion of channelling funds to IS in Syria and in contact with a Malaysian IS member there, while the other was believed to be recruiting people to join the terror group.

Mr Khalid said the two other suspects were from Johor. One was a cyber cafe worker, while the other worked at a resort. “They were believed to be involved in IS activities in Malaysia,” he said, without further elaboration.

Malaysia has been on high alert since gunmen linked to IS launched multiple attacks in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia, in January last year, and has arrested hundreds of people over the past few years for suspected links to militant groups.

Since 2013, more than 260 militants have been put behind bars by the Malaysian authorities. AGENCIES